Starling Fitness: Daily writings on Fitness, Diet, and Health

This postcard showed up on PostSecret last week. I often talk about the first step toward a healthy life (Margaret Cho’s F**K It Diet, The Fat Girl’s Guide to Life, etc.), but I rarely talk about the first step toward failure. The first step that derails your mind and sends you on the road to desperation.

I call that first step, Bulimia, Diet Drugs and Stomach Stapling. It’s the mindset that says, “This isn’t working. I can’t do this on my own. I’m willing to do ANYTHING to get skinny, even if it hurts me.” I never even remember thinking the phrase, “I can’t do this on my own,” but that is the premise behind every step toward these weight loss methods. It’s a very harmful thought and it is promoted by companies everywhere trying to sell you something.

When I used to read up on the most recent medical procedures, the new diet drugs that are in the testing phases and was tempted to empty my stomach after a binge, something far more sinister was at work than just “keeping informed.” I was telling myself over and over again that I couldn’t do this on my own and that it didn’t matter if I was healthy as long as I was thin.

I AM NOT A CLOTHING SIZE!!! I am a smart, witty and enchanting person! I want to stay on this planet as long as I can, so I’m going to take precious care of my body so it doesn’t betray me early in life. I am going to exercise and provide it with healthy food. I’m going to protect it from chemicals. I’m going to protect it from scapel-happy surgeons, wanting to make a buck off the insecurities of humans. I’m going to protect it from binges and purges. I can do this!

And so can you.